The Family Cookbook Project

Blog

  • Family cookbook project.com just got easier

    QuickStart HomepageOne of the things we are most proud of about the Award-winning FamilyCookbookProject.com is how easy it is to use. While the site offers so many options to make your personal cookbook look just like dreamed it would. But it still was not easy enough for us.

    That is why for the past several months we have been developing a new Editor’s “Quick Start” homepage specifically to make being a cookbook editor easy. We’ve created five separate centers and added all of the features, tools and options that relate to that center in one place. You will also find quick links to the most used functions on the homepage itself.

    These new Centers are:

    Recipe Center

    Cookbook Layout Center

    Cookbook Account Center

    Helpers and Contributors Center

    Cookbook Printing Center

     

    Your Choice

    Now, the first thing most of you long time editors will think is that “I know where everything is now, why do I have to learn it all over!”. Well, you don’t. You will have the option to keep your existing homepage or switch to the new one. However, all new accounts will automatically start on the new homepage experience.

    Instant Hints

    Another new feature to help you when you use a desktop is our “Instant Hint” feature. You will now find <?> icons throughout the site and if you hover over them with your computer pointer, you will get more details on what that link does without having to click on it!

    How to Select the new Editor’s homepage

    The first item in your Family Cookbook Message center (the right column of your homepage) is now option to “Set Home Page”. Change this to “Quick Start” and you’ll be switched to the new homepage. Change it back to “Full Home” and you’ll reset it to the original homepage.

    We Need your Help

    Now it is your turn to make the site even easier. Please give the new homepage a try and then give us your feedback about what you like and dislike about our new Editor’s Homepage. Is anything is the wrong Center? What else would you like to see? Is it easier or more difficult? It’s up to you to let us know what you think and help make Family Cookbook Project the best personal cookbook publishing site on the Internet.

     

  • Recipe Standard Measurements

    CupsFor many generations, recipes were handed down by word of mouth from mother to daughter. Recipes consisted of a little of this and a smidgin of that. The food always came our great – or at least that is what we told out mothers! Today things are different. Computers make is easy to write down our recipes and share them with friends and family members over the Internet. However it is important to remember that cooking has a language of its own. It is a language of ingredients and measurements and directions. I believe the most important of these is measurements. If we did not have standard measurements for cooking, “T” could be a teaspoon, a tablespoons, a thimble full or a truck load! Here are a list of Standard Measures Abbreviations commonly used in recipes.

    teaspoon……………………… tsp.
    tablespoon…………………… tbsp. or T.
    cup…………………………….. c.
    quart…………………………… qt.
    ounce…………………………. oz.
    pint…………………………….. pt.
    gallon…………………………. gal.
    inch…………………………….. in.
    pound………………………….. lb.
    milliliter…………………………. ml
    liter……………………………….. L
    milligram……………………….. mg
    gram……………………………… g
    kilogram ……………………….. kg
    millimeter……………………… mm
    centimeter…………………….. cm
    meter……………………………. m
    Celsius…………………………… C
    Fahrenheit……………………. F

    Another important thing about standard measurements is that they don’t work if you don’t use them! Including an ingredient in your recipe without a specific amount is likely to leave someone trying the recipe for the first time scratching their head and wondering what to do. Remember know one will know unless you include it in your recipe.

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

  • Family Cookbook Project adds three new cover choices

    BackToSchool4txtIn an effort to continually build its library of professionally designed covers for its editors to choose from, Family Cookbook Project has added three new cookbook covers.

    Back to School – Kids: This cookbook cover is perfect for a daycare, elementary school or other cookbook involving young children. The images are fun whimsical cartoon characters having a good time.

     

    BackToSchool3txt

     

    Back to School – Supplies: Another school related cookbook cover, this cookbook cover features schools supplies such as a globe, artist paint brush, calculator, apple, etc.

     

    RedWhiteBluetxt

     

     

     

    Red, White and Blue: Looking for a patriotic cookbook, this may be your cover! A blue background with red stripes and white stars provide a colorful cover for any cookbook need.

    Family Cookbook Project is working on additional covers that will be available in the coming months. If you have a cover that you think we should add to our collection, please let us know!

  • Web Marketing Association Names FamilyCookbookProject.com Best Family Website of 2018

    FCBP Homepage 18The Family Cookbook Project (www.familycookbookproject.com) has been named the Best Family Website of 2018 by the Web Marketing Association’s 22nd annual WebAward Competition for Web site development.  The Family Cookbook Project creates personalized cookbooks for individuals, families, church groups and schools.

    “The Great Family Cookbook Project is a website dedicated to helping families collect and preserve cherished recipes into a printed cookbook that can passed down from one generation to the next”, says Chip Lowell, Technical Director of the Family Cookbook Project.  “We are proud that our efforts have been recognized by the Web Marketing Association with this WebAward.  We will continue to develop our site to help families, schools and church groups create both online and printed cookbooks that become treasured heirlooms.”

    The Family Cookbook Project Website was started as a project in 2003 to help one family collect and organize a family cookbook. Overwhelming feedback from those who used the website led to its continued development and public launch.  Currently, more than 88,000 families have started family cookbooks using the website and have entered more than 1.56 million individual recipes.

    “Personalized cookbooks have been around since the 1950s, however the process of collecting and organizing recipes has always been a labor intensive project for the cookbook editor”, says Lowell. “The Family Cookbook Project website provides step by step instructions and tools to help cookbook editors invite others to participate and allow them to enter their favorite recipes directly into the online system.  The editor then simply reviews and edits the recipes, selects printing options, and sends the cookbook to be printed.  The finished printed cookbooks are then received by the editor in a few weeks time”.

    Thousands of sites from 52 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year’s competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.  The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.

    One WebAward judge commented “This is an excellent site. It is easy to navigate and lets the user enter recipes easily. Even someone who is not tech-savvy could probably enter their recipes without a hitch.”

    About the Web Marketing Association

    Since 1997, the annual WebAward Competition is conducted by the Web Marketing Association, Inc. (WMA), an independent organization founded with the purpose of evaluating and recognizing the standard of excellence on the World Wide Web. Its Web site is located at www.webaward.org. The Web Marketing Association also has established the Internet Advertising Competition (IAC Awards) and the Interactive Investor Relations Awards.

    About the Family Cookbook Project

    The Family Cookbook Project is dedicated to helping individuals and families collect and preserve the time-honored recipes that are so important to our family traditions. The website at www.familycookbookproject.com provides step-by-step instructions and online tools to create a valuable family heirloom.  Personalized cookbooks are also used by schools and church groups as important fundraisers.

  • Keeping Your Cookbook Contributors Motivated

    iStock_000004951192XSmall1As with any family project, getting everyone to contribute can be a challenge, especially if they have not seen the end product beforehand.

    Here are some tips to keep your contributors motivated:

    The more the merrier – Be sure to include everyone, not just the great cooks. Everyone likes to be asked to participate and the more you invite, the more recipes you’ll likely get. To add contributors and send an email invitation, > Use the Invitation Tool

    Set a reasonable deadline – Set the submission deadline on the “Project Information Editor” page, but don’t set it too far in the future. We all tend to put off whatever we can and contributing recipes is often one of those things. A month is usually enough time to give everyone to find the recipes they want to contribute and get them entered. Two things to remember: most of the recipes will come in just in time for the deadline and second, you can always extend the deadline if you want more recipes.

    Send regular updates – Use the Reminder Tool to email some or all of your contributors on a regular basis. Remind them of the deadline and ask them to meet a specific goal, like “please add one or two recipes to each category”.

    Target the biggest recipe boxes – Every family has a handful of people who are known for their cooking (you are most likely one of them in your family!). Send a personal message to them either using the remainder tool or reaching out by telephone, Facebook or with a personal visit. People are flattered when their skills are recognized. Let them know the cookbook would not be complete without their contributions.

    Ask for specific recipes – Send a reminder to everyone asking for a specific recipe from your family’s past that will get everyone thinking of past gatherings. Include your memories of that dish or the person who created it. It might help remind everyone why putting together a family cookbook is important.

    Use social media – As you add your own recipes to your family cookbook, it is easy to post them to Facebook or pin them to Pinterest. Sharing your recipes this way shows other family members that you are contributing and shows them they should as well.

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

  • What They Are Saying About FamilyCookbookProject.com

    cookbook_logo1“Writing this little cookbook has been one of the most positive experiences of my life and it was made possible by the Cookbook Project and their OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE team. Chip worked with me – and kept working with me – until the proof was off to be printed. He NEVER complained or even acted agitated as we worked together on every detail of this beautiful little cookbook that is certain to be a treasured heirloom in our family for many, many years. This company is first class, and I would not ever hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning to do their own projects. I will certainly use them again and highly recommend you give them a try as well. I can say with much certainty, you will love them and their beautiful work.”
    –Donna Couch, Editor, “OUR FIRST MESS”

    “I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I LOVE this site and the options it gives me. Recently my daughter moved out. I was compiling a cookbook for her to use once this happened. As it turns out, I’ve given her electronic access to it and she is using it already incomplete! Fantastic! Hoping to get it complete in the next year and in print for my nephew and niece also and anyone else in our extended family that would utilize it. Such a great option to making the transition into adulthood but also have a taste of home at their fingertips.”
    –Lisa Jones, “Mom! What’s That Recipe?”

    “I am thrilled with my tiny baking book. It was a lot of fun to do and I am having fun giving copies away. My original plan was much more elaborate, but as I grew older and slower the book shrank to a tiny drop of the old recipes that I wanted to save and share. To my horror I discovered I didn’t include anything chocolate, therefore nobody will ever believe I wrote it! Thank you for doing such a lovely job, and so very quickly. I hope to order more copies in the new year.”
    –Thelma Schmidt, “I Love to Bake”

  • Ready for a family food fight?

    ABCABC’s “Family Food Fight” is on a search for the most food-savvy families in the country and could be coming to a city near you! Don’t miss out on the opportunity for your family to serve up some delicious dishes and crazy competition.

    Based on Australia’s hit format and hosted by restaurateur, food maven and New York Times best-selling cookbook author Ayesha Curry, “Family Food Fight” will feature eight families from across the country sharing a common kitchen and a common goal: to claim the title of America’s No. 1 Food Family and take home a $100,000 cash prize. Family teams will pull out their best culinary moves in the kitchen, serving up authentic family dishes and drama. Tapping into each family’s uniquely diverse cultural heritage, along with their countless culinary influences, “Family Food Fight” will take homestyle cooking to a new level as family recipes rich in tradition and shared over generations are put on display.

    Calling all home cooks – do you and your family dominate in the kitchen? Whether you enjoy cooking delightful desserts or a fancy feast, incredible Italian food or a great tasting burger, we want to hear from you! If you think your family has what it takes to become America’s No. 1 Food Family, fill in the pre-registration form, cook your favorite dish and head down to an open call. Please visit familyfoodfightcasting.com for complete details on how to apply.

    Families must consist of three or more members to participate. All family members planning to compete must be at least 18 years old and should be home cooks and related in some way. Must be a legal U.S. resident; other eligibility requirements apply.

     

  • It’s the Dog Days of Summer!

    bbqplatter1It’s August. It’s hot! But fall and the holidays are going to come quicker than you think. You still have plenty of time to get your cookbook ready for Thanksgiving get-togethers. Just remember, it will take us 2-3 weeks to print and get your cookbooks to you. So plan to finish up by the first few days of November. That’s just 10 weeks away.

    Right now is the perfect time to get everyone involved – and print your book for the holidays!

    Add to the Story

    Our feeling at Family Cookbook is “Behind every recipe you love is a story you want to share!” And we have added an awesome new feature to your cookbook! Every recipe has always offered a personal notes/comments field for a contributor when they add it to the cookbook – so they can tell their story about the recipe.

     We have added an “Add to the Story” button on all recipes – so any contributor you have can add their own comments and stories to someone’s recipe. As editor, you can even have these stories added to the printed cookbook!

    Check it out on any of your recipes!

    Get Our App for Your Phone!

    Get the Family Cookbook Recipes App for iPhone and Android! You don’t always have to have a printed cookbook to use your recipes – you can always access them from the web on any PC, Mac or iPad with a nice larger screen. But what about your phone? Well, we have an app for that! Here are links to get the one for your phone:

    iPhone App here
    Android App here

    Great Cookbook Accessories!

    Need a nice cookbook holder for the kitchen? How about a really nice 3-ring binder for when you print on your own? Check out our Cookbook Accessories Shop and see all the fun things we have!

    Start Your Own Cookbook!

    If you had this email forwarded and would like to create your own cookbook, start by clicking this link – have fun!

    Bill Rice and Chip Lowell
    Publishers
    Family Cookbook Project
    Cookbook Blog

  • Copyrighting and Proper Usage Of Recipes

    One issue that comes up regularly for family cookbook project editors is the topic of copy-writing recipes and proper usage. While we at the FamilyCookbookProject.com are not lawyers and do not give legal advice, our research shows that recipes cannot generally be copyrighted. 

    At the same time, it does not make it right to simply take credit for other people’s work. One way to avoid this is to give credit where credit is due. If your contributor submits a recipe that they originally found in a magazine or cookbook, it is appropriate to list the source in the notes section of the recipe.

    A few articles of interest in this topic

    Copyright Office flyer on recipes
    http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.pdf

    Copyrighting Recipes
    http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/copyright/copyright-realworld/recipe-copyrighting.html

    Questions & Answers – Copyrighting Recipes
    http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/CookbookAdvice.htm

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

  • 3 Ring Binding Now Available from Family Cookbook Project

    IMG_8389A family cookbook is a living thing. New recipes are always being tried and added. Many people like to have a three-ring binder for their cookbooks so that adding recipes is quick and easy.

    We are excited to offer 3-ring binders as an option for our Family Cookbook Project members. A 3-ring binder will be the same great size as our traditional cookbooks but also have the name of the cookbook on the spine. The binder itself is quite a bit larger than just the pages – about an inch all around or so. The binding opens to allow you to add additional recipes as you go. The one difference between the two binding styles is you can’t have inside front or back cover content with the new 3-ring binders.

    IMG_8391In the Book Options and Design tool, you can choose from our standard coil binding in black or white or the new 3-ring binder options. The cost for the 3-ring binding is slightly higher than the coil binding because of the cost of printing.

    At Family Cookbook Project we are always looking for new ways to make your cookbooks better for you. We have other exciting announcements coming so stay tuned!